猎人收集者 (Hunter Gatherer)
No, you're not living in a time warp (again). This blog is indeed going back to where it started, with me in Okinawa looking for a job. This time, though, I actually have a better sense of how to go about that arduous task, beginning with a trip to Hello Work in Naha.
Hello Work, which I feel is in need of a comma, is like a temp agency...at least, that's what I assume it to be. It's kind of hard to totally get a sense of the place since it's really designed for Japanese people to get work, and I'm not exactly a master of the language yet. But I went anyway, hearing a story that the husband of a former JET here (Shulan) got his job after visiting Hello Work himself. When you first walk in you'll notice a big ass section of computers with other unemployed folk hovering over them. And while it might be tempting to just punch those people in the face and hijack their PCs, it's a better idea to hit up the information desk and get a number. While waiting, you'll get to watch instructional videos on how to write a resume. Japanese resumes are radically different from American ones in layout and form, and did you know you generally have to include a picture along with it? Why, you ask? So they can discriminate against ugly people of course! I wonder if that would fly in the US.
Once your number is called you and you finally get to use a computer, you'll probably be bewildered by all the Japanese and the touch screen interface employed. Or if you're like me you'll have nice Japanese friends that'll do everything for you. Like I said before, Hello Work is designed for and by Japanese people, and the job listings there reflect that. English teaching listings are few and far between, and there's no actual guarantee that the teaching jobs are even for native speakers. Once you've found something that looks promising, you make a print out and call the number to get additional information and hopefully an interview.
Gonna have to call a couple of these places in a minute to see what the what what is. Hopefully something good will come out of it.